Separation of zinc-blende and other metalliferous constituents from ore concentrates and slimes by flotation or granulation.



JAMES HCifit'WO'Uli, OF BROKEN HILL, NEW EIGHTH. "WALES, AUSTRALIA.

SEPWTION 53F ZIN"-JBZLlZhl'DE AND OTHER METALLILEEROUS GONSTIT'UENTS FROM ORE GONCENTIttATEF-l .Ahl'm SLIMES BY FLOTATKON GRANULATIUN.

No Draining.

'Speeification of Letters Itatcnt.

ii atented Aug. 25, 1914;.

application tiled Dec-embers, 1913. Serial No. 5304.617

Hill, in the State of New South i ales, in

the Commonwealth of Australia, mining engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in and Relating to the Separation of Zinc-lBlende and other Metalliferous Constituents from Ore Concentrates and Slimes by alotation or Granulation, of which the following is a specificatlOIl. l

The present invention relates to an improvement in the process of separating by flotation or granulation, the constituent minerals from crude ore, tailings, concentrates, slimes or a 'metalliferous product of mixed sulfids containing zinc sulfid with sulfids of lead, iron, copper, or silver, or other minerals, and is characterized by subjecting the crude ore, slimes, orrmixed sulfids to a preliminary Washing operation with water, prior to submitting the same to a preliminary heating operation, such as is described in the specification of my Patent No. 1,020,353, granted Mar. 12, 1912,

for the purpose of obtaining in a subsequent separation by a selective wetting process, as by flotation or granulation, a more effective and economical separation of .zinc; and also for the purpose of diverting from the zinc, a larger proportion or percentage of the silver, to the unfloated leady or' other residues. 2

\Vith certain classes of ore or metalliferous material, I have in practice found, that. the material after being; subjected to a preliminary heating operation, at a temperature of from 400 C. or thereabouts, -to deadcn one or more or the sulfid particles.

.in relation to a subsequent flotation or granulation separation as described in my Patent No. 1,020,353 has required a tear perature of. about 180 F, to successfully float the unaltered zinc sullid in the subsequent flotation process; and that in some cases a substantial portion of the zinc has been slightly oxidized during the preliminary heating. This oxidized zinc has required to be satisfied with acid before the flotation of the zinc sulfid could be effected, thereby leading to loss of zinc by solution and an increased acid consumption in the flotation, In addition I have also found that the silver contained in the material, has in. the subsequent flotation or granolatlon processes, sometimes been separated together with the unaltered zinc sulfid, and.

has otherwise sometimes remained With the deadened v or altered lead or iron or copper particles in a manner which cannot be fully explained. a i From experiments I have ascertained, that it the ore or sulfid material is thoroughly Washed with clean Water 'to remove the soluble salts from the constituent mineral particles, prior to sulfatizing or oxidizing the same by a heating operation at a temperature of from 400 C. or thereabout in the manner described in the specification of my Patenth o. 1,020,353,'that the quantity of oxidized zinc formed is reduced to an insignificant amount; and that much less acid is required in the subsequentiflotation oporation to separate the zinc sulfid from the. altered lead, iron, copper, silver or other I here also found that the removal of the solubllisalts prior to subjecting'the material,

to the preliminary heating operation, enables the silver to" be deadened-to' flotation to a much 'greater extent than is the case if 'such soluble salts are not. previously removed. This feature greatly enhances the subject matter and value of my previous;

Patent No.1 020,353, in that much less silyer floats with. the zinc sullid, and a pro portionately larger amount remains ,with the lead-containing and other residues.

jirccording .to my present invention, the ore or sulfid material may be thoroughly" Washed With clean water to remove the soluble salts ,trom the constituent mineral particles in any well' known metallurgical manner; this washing being advantageously performed by filter pressing or its equivalent means. r Havingnow fully described my invention, I declare that What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. in a process ofrsepamting sulfide, the method which comprises extracting water soluble substances from amatenal comm-is ing a plurality of such sullids and thereafter sub'niitting to a heating operation for deadeningcertain of such sulfids.

2. In a process of separating sullids, the method which comprises extracting Water soluble substances from a material comprising a plurality of such sulficls, thereafter submitting to a heating operation to cleaden certain of such sulfide and finally separating the sullids by a selective Wetting operation.

In the separation of sulfide, the process which comprises thoroughly Washing With water a material comprising zinc blende and other sulfids, submitting to a' heating operation. to cleaden sullicls other than zinc sulfids and finally separating the various sulfids by a selective Wetting operation.

4-. In the separation of sulfids, the process which comprises Washing a material com- EDWARD JAMES HORWOOD.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR JAMES LEYsoN, HAROLD STRAGI-IAN Krrsoin 

